"Be mindful of the financial advice from MLFSL"

30 December 2024
Thank you for your response, Paula. When you contacted me, I was driving, and I made this very clear to you. When Monika reached out to me, her tone was defensive, which was understandable under the circumstances.

My case was not difficult as you implied. When I was introduced to Monika in Aug 2022, I was initially interested in purchasing a three-bedroom property, but Monika explained that it would likely be beyond my financial capacity. Her suggestion to consider a smaller house seemed reasonable and I shifted my focus accordingly and aimed to buy my first home in 2023.

However, my primary concern lies with the advice I received to settle the car loan by selling my car. This suggestion had significant implications and, as I later realized, was not directly relevant to my mortgage application as my outgoings were minimal -- rent £500, car loan £225, and I had 15% savings for the two-bedroom new build.

Monika also highlighted other issues with my application:

That I was a contract staff member at the time.
That I held Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status at the time.

In hindsight, I have come to understand that these factors were not as consequential as they were made to seem.

Earlier this year, I considered introducing a friend to Monika’s services. My friend, being a mother of three boys, asked if selling her car would also be necessary. Monika replied in her email that she would need to assess her situation, as settling the car loan might not be required. Thus admitting to the ill advice of settling a car loan. How would a mother of three manage with commuting but I suppose its ok to make such ludicrous suggestion to a single person!

While I acknowledge your assertion that Monika is professional, I question the quality of the service I experienced. Regrettably, this has been a painful yet valuable learning experience for me.

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To Whom It May Concern,

As a first-time buyer, my experience with Maple Leaf Financial Services Ltd (MLFSL) was deeply disappointing. I later realized the extent of the poor advice I received when my developer, Taylor Wimpey, introduced me to their mortgage advisor. The Taylor Wimpey advisor clearly explained that I did not need to sell my car to settle my car loan to qualify for a mortgage. My car loan, which was nearly paid off with an outstanding balance of £8,972, did not negatively impact my mortgage eligibility, nor being a contract employee as long as I had evidence of my 3-month continuous payslips.

At the time, my primary monthly outgoings were my car loan and rent of £225 and £500 respectively. With no dependents and having saved 15% of the property deposit, I was well-positioned as a buyer. Despite this, the representative at MLFSL (Monika) insisted that the Taylor Wimpey advisor was providing contradictory advice because they wanted me as a customer.

In hindsight, if I had been better educated about the mortgage requirements, I would have recognized that relying on MLFSL was a mistake. I strongly urge first-time buyers to seek multiple opinions before making any financial decisions, especially when dealing with MLFSL.

Following an investigation initiated by Monika, I was informed that my case was deemed invalid due to the absence of written evidence to substantiate the advice I received. While this outcome is appalling, I sincerely hope others can learn from my experience. It is crucial to document conversations thoroughly and request written confirmation from advisors to ensure mutual understanding of what was discussed.

Additionally, I kindly request that MLFSL remove my details from your CRM. Receiving a holiday message from your organization reopened old wounds and the disappointment I experienced serving as a reminder of the subpar advice I received.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

"Wow Gary !"

Wow. Where do I even start …..

I couldn’t let the day go without giving a feedback about Gary ! Gary Sloan !

I chose Maple Leaf Financial Services after reading positive reviews and so I gave them a try & I can confirm that i was not disappointed at all ! I was assigned Gary Sloan (as previously I’ve had Sheryl a few years ago) who was extremely thorough, kind, patient, fast, professional and he was always willing to provide me with updates.

I had a few hiccups with trying to obtain a mortgage deal but Gary was patient and was always there when I needed him ! He really fought for this offer from the start allll the way to the end ! Especially because of the news that interest rate were doubling & trying to obtain a ‘ok’ interest rate before all the high interest rate came into effects I had doubts about whether or not my own completion let alone getting a mortgage offer would be possible…. But Gary ! Wow ! Thank you ! These concerns were completely unfounded! Not only did I purchase but I also had a sale with a different solicitor ( remind me not to have 2 different solicitors again !) BUT Gary ensured he was as in regular contact with any updates & wow I’m amazed with his work !

Thank you so much Gary and I really wish you the best ! I will be directing all my friends & families to Gary (I should say Maple Leaf Financial Services, but honestly Gary himself is who I’ll be directing everyone to !)Thank you once again & I will be returning !!!